I find as a type 2 with insulin deficiency that it's not common to read that type 2's can be on insulin due to insulin deficiency. I find that rather silly considering I know it as reality yet it's not well publicised. Instead I read comments like this about who may need to use insulin: "They are also required for some people with type 2 diabetes when diabetes tablets, together with healthy eating and regular physical activity, are not enough to control blood glucose levels. Comments about what I'm dealing with are "Insulin injections are required when the body produces little or no insulin, as with type 1 diabetes." What about type 2, 1.5, 3c diabetes who have little or no insulin? I wish people who are supposed to be providing public information about the use of insulin would state things correctly. So no wonder why I'm having to always explain myself if I'm questioned about use of insulin because they don't bother telling people it's not just type 1's that have little or no insulin production. Whilst the comment made in the publication applies to some people with type 2, it doesn't apply to all of us and it should be made clearer. I'm left wondering whether they just assume all type 2's still have their own insulin? Ok, rant over. lol.
Hi Mep
The full information about use of insulin shod be given to you by your physician.
Unfortunately many of this "doctors" do not give satisfactory explanation to the patients.
Astonishing 99% of the patients look on the "doctors" as they are a members of the society of the Gods. All what they know is from the medical literature. The doctors are not scientist, they are a user of the science. Today every one can acquire the same knowledge as the doctors, if they wish.
Back to the point!
Before the onset of the diabetes, the pancreas has produced more insulin then the organism has needed. It is because T2DM is characterised with the Insulin resistance , i.e. the periphery tissues have difficulties to feel the insulin presence in the blood stream. The people are not aware for this problem. When the pancreas can not compensate more for the missing insulin amount, then the person get diagnosis as T2DM ( if he or she are lucky to have a competent doctor). This is the onset of the T2DM. On the onset of the T2DM, the person can improve the insulin resistance with healthy diet and physical activity or with LOw-Carb diet under medical control or with the recommendations from the competent members of this Forum.
The T2DM is a progressive disease and some day your doctor say you shod use sulfonylurea medications together with metformin and continue with your healthy diet and physical exercises. This sulfonylurea "kick" the pancreas to produce insulin above his limits. One day the pancreas will be breathless and can not more.
As T2DM patient the person have always more insulin in the blood then compared with a healthy persons. It is because the person is insulin resistant and need more insulin with the relation to the healthy person.
After that your doctor say you shod use parenteral insulin (exogenous insulin, i.e. lantus or another).
If you have a normal doctor, then he or she make a blood test for C-peptide and Gad-65 to get all in the system. Your endogen ( your own ) insulin amount can be within the tolerated interval like by the healthy persons, but because you are insulin resistant you must have exogenous insulin to compensate for the missing amount.
All this scenario will continue for the rest of the persons life.
Conclusion:
The persons with T1DM need exogenous insulin because they do not produce own insulin.
The persons with T2DM need exogenous insulin because they are insulin resistant and must have greater amount of insulin in the blood then the healthy people.
Unimportant how much is your own insulin production, if your insulin resistance is huge, then you must compensate for that with exogenous insulin.
It is wrong to compare the T1DM with T2DM. It is like to make compare between the apples and pear.
Have a nice day
luna50
PS I know there are more details, but it is OK for now. Ask if you like for something missing in the text.